An Indonesian island is developing a tourism attraction that's been compared to 'Jurassic Park.' Activists are concerned it's a threat to the island's 5,700 Komodo dragons.
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Matthew Loh
Aug 6, 2021, 15:23 IST
A Komodo dragon can grow up to 10 feet and weigh 330 pounds. They are found in Indonesia's Komodo National Park.
Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images
The vulnerable Komodo dragon may be further threatened by tourism development in Indonesia, said UNESCO.
But a local official said the tourism projects would continue, as they have been "proven to have no impact."
The project was dubbed "Jurassic Park" after an image of a Komodo dragon blocking a truck circulated online.
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Activists and UNESCO are concerned that Indonesia is endangering its Komodo dragons - deadly giant lizards - with its tourism ambitions, but authorities say they aren't stopping construction work yet.
A post shared by Menjaga Alam NTT (@kawanbaikkomodo)
In June, UNESCO asked for the tourism projects, which started last year, to be halted while it reassesses the environmental impact on the Komodo dragons.
But a senior environment ministry official told Reuters that the projects would proceed as "it's been proven to have no impact." The official also said work on the tourism projects mainly involved renovations on existing structures.
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Indonesia has been trying to replicate the tourism success of resort island Bali across 10 sites in the country, including the Komodo National Park. In 2020, authorities set a target of attracting 50,000 tourists to the dragon-inhabited region.
The Indonesian Ministry of Environment did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment for this article.
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